People v. Zepeda CA4/3

FACTS

Substantive Facts In April 2012, Leder Sanchez, Juan Carranza, and Alma Trinidad talked to Agustin Velasquez, a taco vender, about buying drugs. One day later that month, Sanchez told Velasquez that he wanted to buy five pounds of methamphetamine and Carranza told Velasquez that he wanted to buy five pounds of cocaine. Velasquez called another taco vender, Kain Espinoza, who had previously told Velasquez to contact him regarding anyone who wanted to buy drugs. Espinoza and his girlfriend, Rocio Badilla, sold drugs for Zepeda. Espinoza called Zepeda about the potential sale. Zepeda gave Espinoza a price and told him to meet with the prospective buyers. The next morning, Espinoza met Sanchez and Carranza at Velasquez’s house in Montebello and stated he would sell them three pounds of methamphetamine for $8,900 a pound. Espinoza said he would return with the drugs around 4:00 p.m. Between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Carranza called Mario Ortega several times, but Ortega initially did not answer the calls in part because he thought Carranza and Sanchez were involved in drugs. Ortega eventually answered his phone, and Carranza asked him for a favor. Ortega declined, stating he had…